State of the Air

Posted:
Thursday, April 30, 2009 3:23 PM EDT

Waterloo (KWWL) - More than 186 million Americans are breathing in air pollution right in their own back yards.

This is according to the American Lung Association's latest State Of The Air report. Los Angeles ranked as the number one US city for ozone pollution. Bakersfield, California and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania also ranked high for particle pollution, which consists of exhaust, aerosols, and other chemicals.

Previous studies have found breathing in air pollution can contribute to heart disease and increase the risk for an early death. The air report finds that in eastern Iowa, roughly 9-percent of residents under 18 have asthma.